Please note this article is part of our newly inaugurated AUSS publication series. A complete landing page for all AUSS-related publications will be available on our website soon. In the meantime, read the full event report of the 2025 AUSS-SA inaugural seminar here.

Introduction

In the African context, the birth of a child signifies new beginnings, the coming of a new dawn, and continuity of the community and the family. Continuation of the ancestral lineage is believed to be a divine gift from God.1  The launch of the SSRC African University Seminar Series in South Africa (AUSS-SA), which took place from the 18th to the 19th of September 2025 at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits University) School of Governance in Johannesburg, can be compared to the birth of a child. It birthed a new organisation that would evolve into a scholarly platform for alumni of the SSRC-African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation, now known as the African Peacebuilding and Development Dynamics (APDD) program – advancing a new generation of African scholars to ensure the development of a new community of knowledge production and policy-engaged scholars on the continent. The vision of AUSS-SA is guided by the mission of the SSRC’s APDD: sourcing and mobilizing financial resources to support promising PhD students and post-doctoral scholars working on topics related to development, peacebuilding, mentoring African emerging scholars, as well as creating viable platforms and connections for scholars to exchange ideas, and project distinctly African perspectives into regional and global scholarly discourses.

The event was marked by insightful, invigorating, and thought-provoking speeches and remarks from all levels.  Introductory remarks were made by the co-chairs of the AUSS-SA, the program director of the SSRC’s APDD program, Prof. Cyril Obi, represented the APDD’s program associate, Ms. Kate Theriault and the host Universities (University of Johannesburg and Wits University). There were groundbreaking keynote speeches by Professor Cori Wielenga (Centre for Mediation in Africa) and Professor Shose Kessi (University of Cape Town), as well as paper presentations from APDD alumni. The event also had four panels, where APDD alumni presented papers on topics ranging from migration, xenophobia, power politics and inequality, responsive journalism, peace and justice, reflections on apartheid and its aftermath, illegal mining, care for endangered plant species, religion and reconciliation, gender inequality, and the criminal justice system. These topics all addressed the various issues currently affecting South Africa. At the end of the seminar, interviews were conducted by the seminar organizers to determine how the participants felt about the inaugural seminar, and what they expect to see in future ones.

This article will focus on analyzing and interpreting the feedback on the seminar, given during interviews of the participants.

Highlights and key messages from the seminar

Several key points emerged from the interviews. These points fall under two categories: highlights, and key takeaways.

In relation to the highlights, most participants appreciated APDD alumni coming together to share ideas and experiences as a critical step towards establishing a cohesive and productive research community. One of the participants, Ms. Pretty Abrahams from the University of Kwazulu Natal, emphasized the need for scholars to work together in a community to facilitate interaction and critical discussions among its members. She also pointed out that scholars need to collaborate on projects and brainstorm on possible solutions to emerging challenges on the continent, instead of always working alone.2

Most participants agreed that the AUSS would culminate in a tightly knit group of APDD alumni. They also concurred that it was a viable project, capable of meeting the needs of the scholarly community, because of its ability to bring into perspective the different forms of resistance, survival, and freedoms, which most academic endeavors don’t pay attention to. According to Dr Sisanda Mguzulwa from the University of Cape Town, the seminar provided a safe space for emerging scholars to exchange ideas and grow through interaction with senior and experienced scholars.3 What also emerged as a key takeaway from the seminar was the interdisciplinary nature of the presentations, which provided an important space that allowed for certain questions that cut across disciplines to be answered. Ms. Kimberly Asher from the University of South Africa narrated how, at the outset, she felt out of place because her discipline and research focus was on development, but she was pleasantly surprised to find that the event gave her the opportunity to share her views and ideas with other scholars. She further stated that the interdisciplinary platform allowed for reflections on particular issues relating to inequality, peacebuilding and conflict resolution in South Africa from diverse disciplinary perspectives such as development, journalism, religion and law.4 This means that the launch of AUSS-SA was critical in nurturing a sense of belonging and promoting collaboration among the scholars. This aspect is vital in advancing African scholarship.

Constructive Feedback and Suggestions from Participants

Many participants appreciated the work that went into organizing the inaugural seminar, especially given the short time within which the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) had to put the event together. It was also evident that the participants were happy to present their research and to receive feedback from other scholars. However, there was also some constructive feedback, including suggestions on how the organisation of such events could be improved to maximize their potential to deliver the intended output and achieve their purpose. According to Dr. Stephen Temitope David from the University of Pretoria, the time allocated to paper presentations should have been increased to give members of the audience enough time to process the information and provide more detailed feedback.5 In order to accommodate the large number of presenters during the seminar, each presenter was given only 10 minutes to present and only 5 minutes of feedback, a scenario some participants felt did not allocate enough time for the presenters to do justice to their papers. Most participants also emphasized the need for this initiative to be sustainable by continuing to organize virtual and in-person events, such as writing retreats, conferences, seminars, and workshops. It was emphasized that this platform of scholars should come up with mechanisms to follow up with emerging scholars by developing strategies for publishing the proceedings from AUSS-SA-organized events.

Way Forward

Reflections on the feedback from seminar participants brought into perspective the need for viable communities of scholars who work together to support research and knowledge production in Africa. The advantages of well-integrated and cohesive scholarly communities, as seen from the feedback of the interviews, was also echoed by scholars such as Angela Finley, who noted that the strength of such communities lies in their ability to enable scholars to learn from each other, develop skills through mentorship, build relationships, and develop critical thinking capabilities that are vital in solving the challenges academics face.6 African scholarship suffers from several challenges, which range from lack of adequate funding, high enrolment rates, poor infrastructure, and inadequate institutional support.7 These challenges facing African institutions have led to brain drain, as more qualified scholars leave the continent in search for better opportunities, an issue that has led to emerging scholars having challenges such as heavy workload, poor mentorship, and limited publishing opportunities. Therefore, the launch of AUSS-SA offers hope at a time when African research scholarship is facing significant challenges. It emphasizes building a community of African scholars who will work together to develop mechanisms and ideas to help solve these challenges that South Africa, and the continent as a whole, is facing.

Conclusion

While the launch of AUSS-SA in South Africa has been accomplished, expectations are high, that there is more work to be done to consolidate the community. After the initial celebration, efforts should be made to consolidate this platform as it evolves into an independent organization serving the interests of locally based South African scholars. Work is already underway to publish the papers presented at the inaugural seminar. Also, virtual and in-person workshops and seminars have been lined up for 2026. Proposals are already being made on how the organization can source funds to help support its vision of building a viable South African community of scholars.

Endnotes

  1. Berg, A. 2020. “Diversity and the Positive Impact of Culture and Supporting Families in Context: A View from Africa.”Perspectives. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://perspectives.waimh.org.
  2. Abraham, P. Interview, September 19, 2025.
  3. Mguzulwa, S. Interview, September 19, 2025.
  4. Usher, K. Interview, September 19, 2025.
  5. David, S. T. Interview, September 19, 2025.
  6. Finley, A. 2016. “Close-Knit Campus Inspires Feeling of Community.”UBC Okanagan News, September 2, 2016. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2016/09/02/close-knit-campus-inspires-feeling-of-community.
  7. Mutula, S. 2009. “Challenges of Doing Research in Sub-Saharan African Universities: Digital Scholarship Opportunities.”Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 1, no. 1: 1.